Kill a Watt Power Meter

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I have a quick post today to tell you about this little gadget called “Kill a Watt Power Meter”. I was given this little gizmo that I can plug in any appliances to test to see how much electricity they are using, whether they are “ON” or “OFF”. Yes, appliances use electricity even if they are “OFF” – it’s called Vampire Power. How appropriate, right? – sucks energy when you [...]

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Handmade and Eco-Friendly Consumerism

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Definition of CONSUMERISM 1: the promotion of the consumer’s interests 2: the theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically desirable; also : a preoccupation with and an inclination toward the buying of consumer goods ~Merriam Webster Dictionary~ “…increasing consumption of goods is economically desirable” is exactly the reason why environmentalism poo poos consumerism. Why? Because “increasing consumption of goods” makes oodles of money for the companies and is [...]

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Team Eco Etsy on Sprint’s New Green ID Pack on Android

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoaxwnfQkUY

I am so very proud and excited to announce that Team Eco Etsy, the team I am captain of, have partnered with Sprint, one of the highest ranked green telecom companies, to link its site to select Android devices for easy green handmade shopping experience for their customers, right at their finger tips. Today, Sprint announced its newest ID Pack called, Green ID Pack that “automatically loads apps, widgets and [...]

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LED Light Bulbs in My Will

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I’ve been really busy since I last posted. There is a huge Handmade for Earth Day Auction going on at Eco Etsy. I’ve been posting all the auctions and it’s been quite fun but it’s also a lot of work. I donated two items and one of them was a pillow that Cat Ivins won (YAY!) and I had to finish a Skinny Organic Scarf for next week’s auction last [...]

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Scott’s Tubeless Toilet Paper vs. Seventh Generation

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Scott’s Tubeless Virgin Bathroom Tissues: SINGLE PLY, 400 sheets per roll, 30 in a pack ——>$19.00 Seventh Generation’s 100% Recycled Bathroom Tissues: DOUBLE Ply, 300 sheets per roll, 4 in a pack ——> $3.79 Scott’s = .00316 per sheet vs. Seventh Generation = .00313 per sheet. But Seventh Generation is made with recycled paper and Scott’s isn’t. Scott’s big news broke last year when it introduced its tubeless toilet paper [...]

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A machine that converts plastic back to oil

This is so wild! Thank you my friend KB for posting this clip on facebook. Watch the whole video. The reasons why this machine is valuable is surprising to me. And it’s not because it produces oil.

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Pantone Color of the Year 2011

Do you know what Pantone is? According to their website, Pantone, Inc. is the world-renowned authority on colour and provider of colour systems and leading technology for the selection and accurate communication of colour. The PANTONE Name is known worldwide as the standard language for colour communication from designer to manufacturer to retailer to customer. With 40 years of experience, we are the worldwide market leader in colour communication and [...]

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Glass Dharma Reusable Straws Review and Giveaway

Giveaway is CLOSED I admit. I don’t use straws. “Then, why the heck are you reviewing straws?” you say? Before you click off to read other earthier blogs, let me ‘splain. Even if I don’t use straws at home and  generally refuse them at restaurants, drinking  a cold root beer float or a thick frothy fruit smoothie seems so much tastier with a straw. And the squealing and shhhlurping sound [...]

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Goodbye Summer and Hello Fall!

I can’t believe summer is already gone. When and how did that happen? These past few months have been all a blur to me. I guess too many things happened this summer and I just as soon would like to forget about them. I can’t wait for the  the cool breeze (I think they said this was the hottest summer on record. Global warming, anyone?), fallen leaves, pumpkin pies, and [...]

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How to buy make-up for a teenager. Part 2

This is the second article of a two part series written by my fifteen years old daughter Emily. She wrote in her first article how she learned to “choose” make-up. In this article, she goes to the Mall to actually “buy” her first make-up. On my birthday, my mom and I went to Sephora at a local mall. Make up was going to be my birthday present and I was [...]

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How to choose make-up for a teenager. Part 1

This guest post is written by my fifteen years old daughter Emily, who recently discovered what it’s like to buy make up for the first time. Her experience couldn’t be more timely as “The Story of Cosmetics” by Annie Leonard will be released today. See the video after the article. Many girls start to play around with make up when they are young. But when they become older in their [...]

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Happy Fourth of July from Eco Etsy Team!

I love birthdays. Not my birthdays, mind you. But everyone else’s! So here is to America’s 234th Independence Day with some awesome Red White and Blue gift items from Team Eco Etsy! 1. Nestle and Soar, 2. Reiter8, 3. Sea Find Designs, 3. RosyUndPosy

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Ojami Bento and Lunch Tote Review

When growing up in Korea, bento (Dosirak, in Korean but we used to call it “bento” too) was an expression of mother’s love… so it seemed. We always wanted what was in someone else’s bento. We always compared who had the better tasting lunch and whose mom packed – HAM, of all things – and that her mom must love her more than my mom loves me because I never [...]

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Upcycled Journals by Ecokaren

I’ve been procrastinating listing items on Etsy in fear of….well, actually listing them. That is one part of selling on Etsy I dislike. I need a little elf that can take pictures, write descriptions, edit, upload, edit, tweak,……you get the picture……while I’m sleeping. Anyway, here is just a few of the items I’ve been able to upload on my shop yesterday. I decided to finally use up a pile of [...]

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Clearance Sale on EcoKaren

I am having a clearance sale on all items in my Etsy shop to make room for a new line of products in 2010. I am trying to streamline the shop into a more cohesive structure – a business plan that has been on the back burner since the summer – better late than never, right? So take advantage and buy them before they are gone. So buy a green [...]

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Spreadshirt is having FREE SHIPPING today!

You know how I love Spreadshirt’s custom design shirts I got for my husband? One says, “Where are my glasses?” and the other says, “Where are my sandals?” because he is ALWAYS looking for them. I think I’m going to order one today that says, “Where is the remote?” I know. I’m cruel. Anyway… I just received an e-mail from them that if you order over $50 today, all standard [...]

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Ojolie Animated eCard Review and Giveaway

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED I am really excited about this review and giveaway. For the first time last year, I sent my Christmas cards and letters via e-mail.  Let me just say this though. I love sending out Christmas cards. It is a tradition in my family where my kids sit and address the envelopes, lick the stamps, and we run to the post office the next day together. Well, those [...]

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New Wave Enviro Products Review and Giveaway

Giveaway is CLOSED Fortunately, I don’t have to pack lunches for anyone these days. I know. Don’t hate me. But I do have to pack water bottles and snacks for sporting events for my kids though, which is just about every day. So when New Wave Enviro Products sent me a bamboo lunch bag, a stainless steel water bottle, and a stainless steel food container to review, I was psyched. [...]

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Equal Exchange Review and Giveaway

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED I wrote about Fair Trade yesterday and told you that I was contacted to review some products by a company that does great work with numerous small farmers around the world. Let me introduce you to a worker-owned co-op called Equal Exchange Co-op, based in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts. It is founded by three visionaries who wanted to change the way food is produced and how the food [...]

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Fabulous Friday Featured Seller – Bluemoon147

Bluemoon147 Cats or dogs? Dogs…especially shelter dogs. They’re the best! Star Wars or Sleepless in Seattle? May sound crazy but I’ve never seen either one. Fruit or chocolate? I can’t live without chocolate. Favorite color? Cobalt blue Favorite meal? Sushi rolls. It’s like eating tiny artwork. City break or weekend in the country? I live in the middle of the city so a country weekend sound like a good change [...]

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Spreadshirt: eco-friendly custom design shirts

I just ordered two custom design shirts for my husband through a wonderful company called Spreadshirt. There is such a wide variety of eco-friendly shirts that I had a hard time choosing the one I wanted. I’ve been meaning to make these two shirts for him since last Christmas but I couldn’t find a reasonably priced eco-friendly shirt company. You can even have your own store on its website to [...]

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The Natural Dentist Review and Giveaway

Oral hygiene. I abhor talking about oral hygiene. I hate going to the dentist like going to my car mechanic. When my car mechanic tells me I need a new “timing belt” on my car, I wonder, “What’s a timing belt, and why do I need it?”. Similarly, I have no idea if I really do have a cavity as I try to squint to see a tiny opaque spot [...]

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Eco Friendly Handmade Cyber Monday

Is it really Cyber Monday today? I love it. Isn’t it quiet? No crowds.  Plenty of parking spaces. No check out lines. I can shop in my jammies with a cup  of hot brimming coffee. This is great! So let’s see what great eco friendly finds there are on Etsy. Recycled denim birds on Christmas tree would be awesome. Repurposed Bird Ornament by copabananas Perfect gift for a hostess or [...]

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Eco Friendly Handmade Christmas

Here are some handmade Christmas goodies. Merry Christmas all winter long… Cool presents for your birds! This will start some creative conversations at your holiday party, heh? Who wouldn’t like your present if you wrap them in these? And finally, a placemat and a utensil case in one. Don’t use disposable plastic utensils. Be real and carry real ones. I think I am getting closer to being done with my [...]

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Buy Eco friendly Handmade

Continuing with some great Eco Friendly Handmade finds on Etsy today… You can never have enough pillows and these are made with bamboo fabric too! Just looking at these arm warmers keep my arms and wrists warm. Pretty flowers too. OK, I’m biased on these but the lavender smells so great and did you know that lavender is great for stress relief? This conflict free diamond ring makes me want [...]

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Buy Nothing Black Friday

Fridays are usually set aside for introducing fabulous sellers from Etsy. However, today is considered to be “Black Friday” or “Buy Nothing Day”.  As I said before, I strongly believe you have to assess what you truly need and what gifts you have to buy so that you don’t contribute to excess waste. And, if you need to buy  gifts for your loved ones for the holiday, you should buy [...]

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Turnaround Design Product Review and Giveaway

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED When Shannon Whealey of Turnaround Design contacted me to review her eco-friendly calendar, I was curious. I thought, “How can you make calendars eco-friendly? Calendars are the epitome of waste – once it’s used up, it’s garbage! You can’t reuse January of last year?” So, you can imagine the delightful smile on my face when I received the nicely packaged calendar printed on recycled paper in recycled [...]

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Green Ecokaren Magnets

Short little post today….. I’ve been trying different promotional items to include when I ship to buyers. It’s my way of introducing my other items in the shop and also a way to say “Thank You” for their purchase. I’d send one of these…an organic makeup remover. or one of these…a bird’s nest magnet made from non-recyclable plastic bottle caps. Yes, did you know that the plastic bottle caps are [...]

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Ecostore USA Giveaway Winner is….

Carmen !!!! Your comment #25 won! Congratulations Carmen!! I am going to forward your e-mail to ecostoreUSA so that they can send you the discount code for the $25 gift certificate. I am grateful that so many of you wanted to try all natural products from ecostoreUSA. I really believe it’s important that we eliminate nasty chemicals from our lives, starting with detergents, soaps, cleansers, and all the other household [...]

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Ecostore’s Launch at Duane Reade in Herald Square, NYC

I don’t usually meet the people behind the products I review but I had a great opportunity to meet the wonderful people from Ecostore last Friday. Ecostore joined forces with Duane Reade in New York City (NYC) and it launched its line at the newest store on Herald Square, opposite from Macy’s on 34th Street and Broadway. Ecostore products will be in all Duane Reade stores in Manhattan beginning of [...]

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Ecostore Review, Giveaway, and the big launch at Duane Reade in NYC

I was so ready and eager to post this product review two weeks ago because I couldn’t wait to share it with  you but then, I found out that Ecostore USA is coming to NYC!! I couldn’t believe it. Ecostore USA will be stocking up the green aisles at Duane Reade Drug Stores all over Manhattan. The big launch is next Friday, October 23, 2009 at it’s brand spanking new [...]

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DIY Halloween

Have you seen all those Halloween Costume centers that pop up every year and are – “POOF” – gone by November 1st? Have you gone in those stores and feel a headache coming on with all the plastic and polyester smell? I really can’t walk in those stores without getting nauseous. So, what can I do to avoid all those cheap plastic, fake, disposable, and environmental nightmare for Halloween? Do [...]

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Green Halloween Goodies

After yesterday’s post, I got to thinking more about Green Halloween and went window shopping. Look at the green goodies I found for Green Halloween. (Say that fast ten times….) Perfect for sandwiches too! Imagine all the candies you can carry home in this roomy bag! And it’s reusable! Very chic banner and you’ll use it every year! How about giving these out instead of candies???? My kind of treat! [...]

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I heart handmade functional eco friendlies

I heart (♥) these handmade functional eco-friendlies.

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Zero Water Filter Review

Like most Americans, I used to have bottled water delivered to my home and bought disposable water bottles to carry. That was a few years ago. Of course, I know better now so I don’t buy bottled water anymore but I don’t drink water straight out of the tap either. Why?….because my tap water is contaminated. No, I don’t live in a third world country without clean water. In fact, [...]

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EcoSMART – the safetest organic pesticide review and giveaway

Do you remember your first giveaway prize? Was it a beautiful jewelry? A hand knitted scarf? A tote bag? You know what mine was? A bug spray. Ant and Roach killer, to be specific. Yeah. I was really ecstatic. Seriously. It was truly my first prize I ever won. And I was really excited about it not just because it was my first prize, ever, but because the bug spray [...]

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Custom Orders – Upcycled Pillow Cases and Utensil Pouch

As you have might have guessed, unexpected trip to upstate for a marathon, back-to-school, school trips, and start of another busy sports season left me with no time to make anything for my shop. But as fate would have it, (crafting God wanted me to get back to crafting, I guess) I received two custom orders recently. So, I made these two beautiful items and I wanted to share them. [...]

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Kids Konserve Waste Free Lunch System

I know you’ve been reading a lot about waste free lunch bags lately but I wanted to tell you about a particular company I really like. Why? It’s owned by a couple of caring mompreneurs who not only care about the health of your kids but also about the environment. The company is called Kids Konserve. The company carries a full line of waste free lunch system from bags, lunch [...]

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BPA in Sigg Water Bottles

Yep. You read it correctly. Just when you thought you were doing the right thing by buying reusable aluminum bottles to avoid BPA in plastic bottles, now the story hits the news about Sigg bottles having liners with trace amounts of BPA. What now? Well, according to the letter from the CEO of Sigg, Steve Wasik, these old aluminum Sigg bottles that were manufactured before 2008 were lined with epoxy [...]

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Thank You Series – Avlor’s Imprints

Since I am on a “branding” kick as of late, I thought I should start putting labels on my products, especially on the items I sew. I think those nifty little tags are cool and so professional looking. So I looked into buying them. But most of them are not so eco-friendly and the organic cotton ones are expensive AND I have to buy like 1000 labels. I wish I [...]

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Eco Spa Giveaway

The deadline for Eco Spa Giveaway ends Tomorrow, August 15, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST. Enter to win this Eco Spa Package. Go here to enter. It includes: ecokaren‘s Organic Washcloth ecokaren’s Reusable Makeup Remover Pad ecokaren’s flaxseed/lavender filled eye mask ecogeneration‘s Vintage Bath Tub Soap Dish Happy Goat‘s Soap in lavender Greensprings0‘s Organic Lavender Rose Lotion Bar Good Luck! ♥

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Thank You Series – Green Springs Body Works

When I first started my shop, ‘ecogeneration’, on Etsy in October 2008, I met some awesome eco minded sellers on a team called Eco Etsy. Among them is a lady who is passionate about organic skin care products. My favorite cream for my sensitive skin, especially in the winter, is from her shop because I know she only uses the finest organic ingredients. So naturally (no pun intended), when I [...]

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Tuesday Favorites

I’ll be honest – I’ve been on vacation and haven’t had the time to write since I got back. But Etsy is always on my mind and I made time to browse through some shops to see who’s selling what….the curious Georgette that I am. So this morning, I thought I’d share what I saw on Etsy that caught my eyes. Oh, there are tons more but this is my [...]

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What to give teachers?

If you are like me, I always like to give something special to teachers this time of the year. I give home baked goods for the Holidays but I give them a little something personal at the end of the year without depleting my bank account. Thinking of personal presents for teachers whom I don’t know, socially, is very very hard. And enough with those “teachers” themed gifts. I mean, [...]

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Here comes the sun…little darling

It was ‘goy-geous’ today in NY. And the Beatles’ tune stayed in my head all day. I mean, I couldn’t have asked for a better weather. It was sunny, 80 degrees with clear blue skies with no humidity. And lucky for us, it will be like this, for the rest of the week. I used to love days like this but unlike another song, sunshine on my shoulders doesn’t make [...]

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Swine Flu – Closer Look

My husband has a sinus infection, complicated by seasonal allergy. But when he said he wasn’t feeling well and looked like he had a fever, we all panicked and asked, “Do you have the Swine Flu?” We’ve been inundated by the news about Swine Flu and of course, that was the first thing that came to our minds. And the word “Pandemic” doesn’t help our nerves either. Just this morning, [...]

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Eco-Friendly Supplies

When I want to create something from scratch and not upcycle from existing resources, I always look for supplies that are eco-friendly and sustainable. For example, I’ll buy organic and bamboo yarns whenever I can; when they are on sale, when I see colors I like and only when I need them. So I thought I’d list the supplies I use and would like to use in the future here. [...]

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Happy Easter!

Today will be an uber Good “Fabulous” Friday as I found some great finds that remind me of Spring (and Easter) on Etsy and I wanted to share them with you. They are all eco-friendly and I just love the colors that scream “Spring”! Click the picture for more info. Enjoy and let me know what you think about these great whimsical and functional items from eco-friendly artists from Etsy. [...]

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Eco-Friendly Shipping

In an attempt to make my shop appear little bit more quaint but eco-friendly, I decided to use stamped paper tags to attach to my items when I ship. But I didn’t want to order custom printed virgin or recycled paper tags that I’d have to reorder all the time. I wanted to use my own ink and stamp them. So I ordered a stamp from a shop on Etsy [...]

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Furoshiki

No…..it’s not sushi. But the idea does come from Japan. Furoshiki is a cloth that can be used to wrap all sorts of gifts and bags. It is a wonderful way of not using plastic to carry things and saving gift wrapping paper. Watch this video and learn how to wrap gifts and make bags using this ingenious method. The Minister of the Environment, Yuriko Koike, created a version made [...]

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Rechargeable Candles

I love the calming effects of flickering candle light. It’s meditative and very soothing. But I can do without the smell, smoke, and the toxic effect on my health as well as the environment. I rather use essential oils for aromatherapy and not the burning fake smell of lavender or vanilla. I was in search of something comparable and I found this company that makes rechargeable candles that actually flicker… [...]

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!

In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, I wanted to be even more ‘green’ and feature these wonderful green products from the two teams I belong to; Etsy Organic Team and Team Eco Etsy. These two are the best teams on Etsy that promote eco friendly products and support members who are conscientious about the environment. I’m proud to be their member and proud to be among such talented artists. Happy [...]

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Birds Nest Magnets are nominated

The plastic bottle cap birds nest magnets are nominated by kimquinndotcom for the Eco Etsy Team’s blog. It’s always exciting when someone recognizes your work but these magnets are special to me because these magnets were one of the first items I started to sell when I opened my Etsy shop. Since then, I made soap dishes, picture frames, and abstract art pieces with them. These non-recyclable plastic bottle caps [...]

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T-Rex’s Demise

Well, after I posted yesterday, I was motivated to finish the dinosaur project. So, I went on to the last step, which was sealing the canvases. Well, a close up look on T-Rex left me speechless. Actually, many four letter words comprised of my speech, so technically, I was not really speechless. I noticed T-Rex was developing some sort of blisters, the tragic effects of my cold clouding up my [...]

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Not too late for christmas shopping…for yourself!

Here is my wish list. I found these great items that I would put on my list if Santa was reading it. They are either organic or upcycled chic items or just very special! Check them out! I love this tote from SasakiCreations. I’m always throwing stuff in paper shopping bags when I’m running out the door, say, to the post office or running small errands. I mean there’s nothing [...]

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Trying to keep warm

Are you snowed in? It sounds like there’s snow all over the place….even in the Northwest where it rains all the time! Do you think global warming has anything to do with this severe weather? Read this and this. Well, in trying to keep warm, I kept myself busy by knitting up a storm (no pun intended) and upcycling some things in the house including these scarves. They are on [...]

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Wake up and smell the coffee

Single Cup Coffee Machines If you are like me, I can’t start the day without a strong cup of coffee. We bought the fancy Single Cup Coffee maker about five years ago when it didn’t even hit the stores yet. It was so much fun to make the coffee that I would drink day and night, just to play with the machine. But, I soon realized how wasteful those single [...]

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Ready for sale!

I’ve created some beautiful napkin rings, eyeglasses chain/ lanyard, and wine glass charms from beads that have been hiding in my daughter’s craft drawers. I’ve de-cluttered the craft room and added some compliments to the beads to make some unique finds. Presently, I’m working on making Beaded Stitch Markers. Unfortunately, since I am only working with orphaned beads, still charming and beautiful, I can’t take custom orders. Each of my [...]

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